The boys' club that dominates the film industry is making way for three women with attitude--and a string of hits

I'm an expert in hookers," Shirley Maclaine once said. She was speaking about the limited repertoire for actresses in Hollywood. Things have improved a bit over the years for female stars, but behind the camera, it's a different story. Consider this: according to statistics recently compiled by Martha M. Lauzen, a professor at San Diego State University, men directed 90% of the top 250 movies released in 2001, while the ranks of female directors (and writers) dwindled from the previous year.

Those numbers remind us that the movie industry remains at its core a boys' club. Yet for the first time...